


Sanders Sides Minifics

by remy_the_lemon_berry



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders Angst, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders is a Little Shit, Chaotic Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders is Extra, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders is a Good Friend, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders Angst, Deceit Sanders is a Little Shit, Deceit is a slimy boi, Deceit | Janus Sanders Angst, Delirium, Drugs, FOR LIKE ONE CHAPTER DON’T WORRY, Fire, Fluff, Fusion, Gay, Hurt/Comfort, Insomnia, Logic | Logan Sanders Angst, Logic | Logan Sanders Needs a Hug, Logic | Logan Sanders is Extra, Morality | Patton Sanders is Adorable, Morality | Patton Sanders is a Good Friend, Morality | Patton Sanders is a Sweetheart, Multi, Panic Attacks, Remus being Remus, Secrets, Sexual innuendos, Sick Character, Sickfic, Side Fusion, Slightly Unsympathetic Sides, Sympathetic Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Sympathetic Deceit Sanders, Tentacles, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Touch-Starved, Unrequited Crush, Unrequited Love, Vomiting, it’s non-sexual don’t worry, no beta we die like roman’s self-esteem, they aren’t recreational use it’s the stuff used by dentists
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-09
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:54:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 16,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23085820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/remy_the_lemon_berry/pseuds/remy_the_lemon_berry
Summary: A collection of Sanders Sides minifics ranging from 25 words to 1,000 words! Give me prompt suggestions in the comments and I will do my best to include the suggestion. No smut, no super unsympathetic/abusive Sides, and any ship is fair game (except for Rem/Rom, of course), and no other rules apply.I plan on updating this in a relatively timely manner, but I apologize if I am unable to finish a fic in time.Requests are closed!
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders/Deceit | Janus Sanders, Creativity | Roman Sanders & Dark Creativity | Remus Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders & Deceit Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders/Deceit | Janus Sanders/Logic | Logan Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus “The Duke” Sanders & Morality | Patton Sanders, Janus | Deceit Sanders & Everyone, LAMP/CALM, Morality | Patton Sanders & Thomas Sanders, Platonic Creativitwins, platonic DRLAMP
Comments: 166
Kudos: 181





	1. Cake Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: It’s Patton’s birthday, and Logan, Roman, and Virgil want to bake him a cake. Things go haywire.
> 
> Word count: 844

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably gonna be one of my longer fics, since this one is a good 800 words long. I promise that most will be shorter.
> 
> Warning for food mention!

Everything had started off fine at first. It all went downhill when Virgil dropped a bag of flour on the kitchen floor, leaving a large puff of white floating through the air like a cloud.

“Virgil!” Roman yelped as he leaped away from the mess on the tile. “We can’t afford to make messes! This cake needs to be the most grand, the most extravagant, the most _absolutely delicious_ dessert Patton has ever experienced in his _life_!”

“Yeah, and we can still do that even if we make a mess, Sir-Sing-A-Lot,” Virgil retorted, conjuring a new bag of flour.

“But _I_ can’t make that if _I’m_ covered in flour, Robbie Virg-entino.” Roman flicked the spatula at Virgil, splattering the grumbling boy in partially-made cake batter. Virgil hissed in response.

“Calm down you two,” Logan said. “Roman, would you mind handing me the egg carton?” Without even thinking, Roman grabbed the egg carton and hurled it at the Logical Side who yelped and fumbled with it before the contents fell to the ground with a large splat. Runny liquid covered the floor, cabinets, and the so-called bakers as everyone stood in shock at the carnage.

Roman was the first to recover. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!” He conjured a new carton of eggs and cracked half a dozen of them over the batter.

Logan frowned. “Roman, the recipe specifically states that we only need four egg whites, not six. This is for Patton’s birthday - we cannot afford to stray from the recipe.”

“But nothing’s _fun_ without a little bit of trial-and-error,” Roman pouted. He suddenly brightened up. “Like this!” He suddenly grabbed a jar of rainbow sprinkles and poured the contents into the batter.

“ROMAN NO!” Virgil squawked, rushing over to prevent another one of the Creative Side’s antics, but he slid and fell on the floor due to the mess. His elbow bumped the burner on the stovetop, causing large, bright flames to appear right underneath the cookbook. No one noticed.

The Sides started yelling at each other. Logan was berating Roman for being so reckless, and Virgil for being too clumsy. Roman was arguing with Logan, thinking he was too demanding, and Virgil for being no fun. Virgil was exasperated with Roman for causing messes and Logan for being so strict. Everything had delved into chaos. No one noticed at first when the cookbook caught fire. Then Virgil saw. Then Logan. Then Roman.

Virgil swore violently and ran to find a fire extinguisher. Logan snatched an empty measuring cup and filled it with water. Roman moved everything else out of the way, but it was too late. Soon, the wooden mixing spoon caught fire, along with several spoons, the measuring cups, the wooden cabinets, and even the mess on the floor. 

Virgil returned with a fire extinguisher and began to spray it over the chaos that was the kitchen. By this point, the fire alarm was ringing loudly, its piercing sound echoing throughout Thomas’s mind. 

The fire extinguisher helped to tame some of the flames, but they kept spreading. The three Sides scrambled to quench the fire, complete Roman yelling “perish, beastly flames! How dare you ruin Patton’s special day!” while tossing water onto the inferno. Logan and Virgil were yelling at each other, pointing out where the greatest blazes were and smothering them with the chemicals from the fire extinguisher.

At last the fires died away, leaving the charred remains of a kitchen in its wake. The bakers stood there, breathing heavily, failing to notice the fourth very confused Side standing behind them.

“Hey kiddos, what’s going on here?” Patton hesitantly asked, “and why was the kitchen on fire?”

The three Sides wheeled around to face Morality, their expressions ranging from shock to fear to guilt and even anger.

“Padre, we were just… um… y’know,” Roman stuttered, “Ah-”

“We were baking a cake for your birthday and we didn’t want you to know but we got into some arguments and I accidently turned on the stove and burned the kitchen down and-and-and-”

“Virgil, relax, it’s over now,” Logan reassured. He turned back to the father figure, a strained smile on his face. “Yes, we attempted to bake you a cake for your birthday today, however failed to calculate the difficulty of baking, since we are rather inexperienced, and naively chose a recipe of greater difficulty, resulting in some, ah, shenanigans.”

Patton’s face brightened. “Aw, that’s so sweet of you guys! I love that you did all of this-” he gestured to the kitchen, “-for me. And I’m so proud of you for trying something new! But maybe we should clean this up so that no one gets hurt?”

“And then later we can talk Thomas into ordering a pizza?” Roman suggested.

Virgil smiled softly. “Sure, why not. Can’t be any worse than what we did.”

“I think pizza will suffice,” Logan affirmed.

“Eeee! And then we can watch movies afterwards!” Patton gave a bright smile. “This is going to be the best birthday ever!”

Maybe things weren’t so bad after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know of any other prompts that you have, or any suggestions for grammar and all that jazz.


	2. Secretly Dancing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Virgil walks in on two Sides playing Dance Dance Revolution.
> 
> Word Count: 142

Virgil went to knock on Logan’s door when he faintly heard music through the walls. Frowning, he silently opened the door, suddenly not wanting to disturb the Logical Side. He saw a very surprising scene.

Someone had conjured a Dance Dance Revolution machine, and Logan and another figure were moving their feet perfectly in sync. _Without the bar._

It took Virgil a moment to realize the second figure was Deceit.

Logan and the Dark Side were moving together to what sounded like a complicated song (Virgil had never played DDR, but from the visuals it appeared difficult). It seemed like they had done this hundreds of times in the past, because their feet were moving rapidly on the arrows concurrently with each other.

They never noticed Virgil take out his phone and start recording.

_I’m going to have the best blackmail material._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to look up videos of DDR in order to be more accurate in my writing, lol.
> 
> As usual, please request any prompt ideas that you have in mind or any corrections/advice/suggestions!


	3. Don’t Sit There

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by Clara: How much of a plot can you manage in twenty-five words?
> 
> Word count: 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two fics in 24 hours? You bet!

Logan sighed. “Virgil, get off the refrigerator.”

“You can’t stop me!”

“It is unsafe, and you could fall.”

“That’s the point.”

“VIRGIL! GET OFF!”

“ _NEVER!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may do more parts on Virgil sitting in places that he really shouldn’t- if you guys like it, that is.
> 
> As usual, prompts and ideas are welcome, as well as any advice, suggestions, or changes that need to be made.


	4. Mall Haul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: The Sides (and Thomas) go to the mall!
> 
> Word count: 733

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a human!AU, which is why Deceit is called Dee in this.

Thomas walked into the Sanders Mall, his five friends trailing behind him. “Remember guys, we meet back here at four o’clock, so don’t-” Thomas turned around to find that the others had disappeared.

“-split up.” The man sighed and cradled his head in his hands. “This is going to be a nightmare.”

———

Roman had lost track of the others the moment everyone walked through the doors. The flamboyant figure didn’t particularly mind, since everyone had their own stores that they wanted to go to, and he knew that no one would agree on a single store to shop at. The thoughts evaporated when he approached his favorite store in the mall - Forever 21.

Like a kid on Christmas, Roman flounced through the entrance, the upbeat pop music fueling his excitement more. He saw so many stylish shirts and trendy pants that he started grabbing clothes off the racks and dashed towards the changing rooms. After all, a prince has  _ got _ to look his finest.

———

Logan had no need to observe the mall directory - he had the route to Books a Million engraved in his brain, as he went there to buy all of his astronomy textbooks. He was considered one of their few regulars.

He walked into the book store and immediately noticed a new bookcase section that hadn’t been there in previous visits - a section headed “crime.” Intrigued, Logan approached the section and immediately noticed various Agatha Christie books lined on the shelves. Though the nerd had read the vast majority of the author’s books, he couldn’t help but draw closer to them, picking one up and flipping through the pages. Finding an adequate copy, he sat down on a chair off to the side and began reading.

———

Patton always loved the carousel in the middle of the mall. It seemed like the perfect garnish to a perfect building. But more than that, he always loved seeing the kiddos smiling and laughing as they rode the animals, their parents close by. It always made him want to ride it as well.

Smiling at the operator, the parental figure paid the fee and examined the animals. There were horses, lions, dolphins- aw, they were just so paw-some! He eventually decided on a cheerful-looking panda bear. He grinned as the playful music started up and the ride began to move.

———

Virgil approached Hot Topic, his eyes darting suspiciously at anyone who might be looking his way. Though he had been in the store dozens of times in the past, he still hated it when people stared at him as he walked by. It always made him uncomfortable.

The emo walked into the dark store, The Sharpest Lives blaring over the speakers. The corners of his mouth ticked upwards slightly as his eyes scanned the rows of clothes and jewelry. An article of clothing caught his eye- it didn’t look like much, it was just a black hoodie with purple and white patches sewn on it, but he was still drawn to it anyway. Pulling it off the hanger, he pulled it on and examined himself in a nearby mirror.

_ Dang, I really dig the purple. _

———

Dee chuckled to himself as he approached the store where he could cause the most trauma - Build-A-Bear. He  _ hated _ going there, the innocent children  _ always _ knew what was coming their way. After all, if mall security hasn’t caught him yet, then what will?

The snake-like figure strolled into the store, the lights were  _ definitely _ not hurting his eyes. Ignoring the discomfort in favor of what he was about to do, he tapped on a young boy’s shoulder. The kid turned around and smiled up at the man, clutching a brown bear in one arm and a felt heart in a hand.

“You know, putting the heart in the stuffed animal will  _ definitely _ cause the bear to come to life and tear you to pieces.”

He watched gleefully as the child started screaming in terror. Damage done, Dee sauntered out of the store, laughing to himself.

———

Eventually, Roman, Logan, Patton, Virgil, Dee, and Thomas all managed to rendezvous at the designated location. Thomas was the first to speak. “So, did you guys have fun?”

“Yep, kiddo!”

“I had a  _ fabulously _ good time!”

“The experience was satisfactory.”

“Sure, whatever.”

“I  _ didn’t _ enjoy myself.”

Thomas grinned. “Well, then let’s go home. I’m all worn out for the day.” And so they left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry that I didn’t add Remy or Remus in this chapter. I couldn’t without going over my maximum word length. I promise to include them in later fics!
> 
> As usual, prompts, suggestions, criticisms, etc. are welcome and encouraged!


	5. Sickness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Logan gets sick. Comfort ensues
> 
> Word count: 597

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning!
> 
> There is a brief description of vomiting starting at the paragraph that starts with “He immediately regretted his decision” and ends with “... wake up Roman and Virgil.” (Basically, two paragraphs)

Logan blearily rubbed his eyes as he stared dully at his computer screen. He hadn’t been feeling like his normal productive self lately - his appetite had been decreasing and he was beginning to feel a slight tinge of nausea in his stomach. Logically, he knew that he was feeling symptoms of an illness of some sort, most likely a stomach bug. That being said, he did not want to burden the other Sides and Thomas with his issue - he had to keep on schedule and not let the others worry. 

He finally acquiesced to power down his computer and go to sleep for the night. He looked at his watch before falling asleep. _11:45. Much too late. I must keep an adequate sleep schedule if I am to recover properly._

Logan had fallen asleep hoping his stomach would settle comfortably in the morning. Instead, all that occured was an increased feeling of nausea when he blinked open his eyes to his alarm. He flung himself out of bed, the ground swaying below his feet and black spots dancing in his vision. He continued on with his day anyway, believing he would be fine.

He was not fine. His head felt full of cotton when he walked into the kitchen. To his dismay, Patton was already brewing a coffee pot when he entered.

“Good morning, Lo!” Patton hummed, pressing a kiss on his cheek. As he studied the Logical Side closer, Morality’s smile died and his eyebrows furrowed. “Are you feeling alright kiddo? You look sick.” He put a hand on the other Side’s forehead, his frown deepening.

 _Is it that obvious?_ “I am fine, Patton,” Logan said stiffly. “I cannot afford to let a sickness prevent me from helping Thomas stay on schedule.”

“But you have a fever! You should take it easy, at least for today.”

“I can assure you, love, that I am fine. There is no need to worry.” Logan sipped his coffee.

He immediately regretted his decision, his stomach violently protesting the hot liquid. Before he could stop himself, he spewed what little was in his stomach all over the kitchen floor. Ugh, it was barely the color of coffee. That couldn’t be good.

“Oh my gosh, kiddo!” Patton yelped as Logan tipped forward. He quickly caught the sick Side, buckling a little under the weight. The cups of coffee that were in both of their hands slipped from their grasps and shattered on the soiled floor, the crack echoing throughout the Mindscape. It would no doubt wake up Roman and Virgil. 

“Patton, I-”

“Hush now, dear,” Patton said firmly. “Rest now, talk later.” He waved away the mess on the floor and gently led Logan to the couch, where he laid down.

It was then that both Roman and Virgil’s footsteps thudded down the stairs and they appeared in the living room, confusion written on their faces. Then they saw Logan and Patton, and confusion melted into concern.

“Logan, what-” Virgil began.

“What happened, my starry sky?!” Roman exclaimed, kneeling by Logan’s side. He took the sick Side’s knuckles and kissed them, his lips barely brushing the skin.

Logan closed his eyes. “I… I may have contracted an illness. This is really not necessary, loves, I assure you-”

“Stop,” Virgil interrupted, prompting Logan to open his eyes again. He placed a kiss on Logic’s forehead. “You’re always helping Thomas, helping _us_. Please let us help you this time. You need it.”

“I-I suppose.” Thus, with his boyfriends by his side, Logan let his eyes flutter shut, feeling safe and cared for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, comments, suggestions, prompts, all that stuff is appreciated and encouraged!


	6. Acrylics and Sunsets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Roman and Virgil paint together
> 
> Word count: 353

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woop, two chapters in like, two hours! I’m on a roll!

It was an absolutely gorgeous evening in the Imagination. Oh, what was Roman saying? Every day was beautiful in his realm. Small wisps of clouds hovered in the sky, the perfect contrast to the setting sun. Rays of light in dozens of shades of reds and yellows painted the horizon and created a masterpiece too exquisite for words to describe. Gold bathed the surrounding trees and lakes, making them glimmer finer than any gift of jewels. Alas, it was truly the perfect evening to paint the sunset.

Roman conjured a canvas, stand, and palette of acrylic paints. At a second thought, he also summoned an embroidered apron for himself. He started painting, determined to capture the indescribable beauty of the Imagination.

Roman was so caught up in his work that he failed to notice a figure approach him from behind until the other Side spoke.

“Mind if I join you, Princey?” Virgil asked, startling Roman. The Creative Side would deny any and all accusations of him jumping two feet in the air.

“Absolutely, my angsty stormcloud!” Virgil scoffed as Roman conjured a second canvas and apron for him.

Virgil studied the scene in front of him. “It’s… so pretty,” he breathed. “Do you see this every evening?”

Roman beamed. “Yup! It’s one of my most prized features of the Imagination. Isn’t it absolutely fabulous?”

“Yeah, it’s… pretty cool.”

They stood there in silence for a few hours, the sunset never leaving the sky all the while. Roman let his thoughts drift while he painted.

When Virgil had first appeared in the Mindscape, Roman hadn’t liked him at all. He always seemed to bring Thomas down, and frankly, he was creepy and broody. He had always seemed like a Disney villain, another foe to vanquish.

But now… Virgil wasn’t too bad. Yes, they had their fair share of quarrels and disagreements, but Roman would even start considering them friends if they spent more time like this together. He would never admit it, but Roman really did cherish moments like this. They made him feel wanted and worth the effort.

They made him feel loved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompts, comments, suggestions, constructive criticisms and all that stuff is welcome!


	7. An Emo Nightmare Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by 0TangerineTango0: It’s Virgil’s birthday, and as a birthday present, Roman promised Virgil that they can do whatever Virgil wants for a day. What do they do together?
> 
> Word count: 1000

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof, I did not mean to make this fic as long as it is. My original was actually almost 1200 words long so I had to cut it down. So, yeah, this is definitely going to be my longest fic. Oh well, hope you enjoy!
> 
> Warning for a brief mention of food!

Virgil would normally dread his birthday. He knew that Patton would make a big deal out of it, and Roman would be more over dramatic than usual (somehow), and he knew that Logan would even make more of an effort to spend time with him. No, Virgil was totally content on his own for today, just a small “happy birthday!” from the others was enough for him.

But today… today was different. Yesterday, Roman had promised him that he would do anything that Virgil wanted him to do for his birthday. Needless to say, Virgil was pretty excited.

A knock on Virgil’s door startled the Anxious Side out of his thoughts. When Virgil opened the door, he was not surprised to see Roman standing there, a broad smile on his face

“Happy birthday, my Emo Nightmare!” the Creative Side exclaimed. “Now, what will we be doing? I made myself look extra fabulous for today, so our plans better be spectacular!”

“Oh don’t worry, Princey,” Virgil said smugly. “Your sense of ‘fabulous style’ is Disney trash. I’ll show you what _real_ fashion looks like. Virgil pulled Roman inside his room and slammed the door, leaving Roman to his fate.

“I am _not_ putting those on!” Roman gasped. The Creative Side stared at Virgil’s closet in a mixture of awe and horror. The Hot Topic aesthetic made him want to bolt immediately and disregard his promise, but he stuck around, knowing the others would be unhappy if he left.

Virgil fished through his closet, muttering softly to himself. “These jeans would work with this shirt… ooh, I like _that_ one and that one… yes, this will _definitely_ work.”

“Conspiring my demise, Frank Iero?” Roman tried to get a glimpse of Virgil’s outfit, but to no avail.

“Only for your costume.” Virgil turned around and tossed the princely figure a pile of clothes. “There’s a bathroom around the corner. Come out when you’ve changed.”

“Fine.” Virgil’s bathroom was still darker than most bathroom standards, but it at least allowed Roman to properly see the clothes that were handed to him. He gawked at his new outfit - ripped skinny black jeans accented with a silver chain belt, a loose purple crop top decorated with holes, a thick black sweatshirt, and black platform boots, along with a black choker, clip-on piercings, and some black rings. Sweet Caroline, does Virgil _want_ to make him look like some off-brand Disney villain?

About fifteen minutes later Roman trudged out of the bathroom with a huff. “Now _I_ look like the emo nightmare,” he grumbled. Virgil stepped forward, examining his handiwork.

“Perfect, but we’re not done yet.” He held up a makeup bag, smirking.

“At least make it better than the horror under your eyes,” the Creative Side retorted.

“Relax dude, it’s going to be at least as extra as your soul.”

A while later, the two Sides, both decked out in emo clothes (Roman had to admit that Virgil was incredible at applying makeup) sat down to play Virgil’s game of choice: Mario Kart Wii.

“Ha, so you _do_ play as princely characters!” Roman exclaimed.

“Okay, first of all, King Boo is not a prince, he’s a king,” Virgil snapped back. “Second of all, he’s a ghost, and a damn good one, at that.”

“Well, whatever, because Rosalina is obviously better and will _definitely_ beat Mr. Jack Boo-ington over there.”

“Tough words for someone who’s ass is going to get kicked.”

“How dare you- wait, is that the Special Cup? _Right away?!”_

“Yup.” Virgil suddenly grinned, a mischievous glint in his eye. “Prepare to perish on Rainbow Road.”

Four races and a whole lot of colorful language later, Virgil emerged victorious, having gotten first place on every race (including Rainbow Road), and Roman getting third, fourth, seventh, and eleventh place, unfortunately.

“How the heck did you manage to not fall off Rainbow Road _once_?!” the Creative Side exclaimed, fury in his voice.

“Practice. And oh, what was that about you beating me at my own game?” Virgil taunted.

Princey huffed. “Oh hush, I’ll beat you next time.”

He did not, in fact, beat him next time. Or the time after that.

“Virgil, you have crossed the line,” Roman gasped in horror. “I am _not_ having pineapple on pizza. It’s a sin. _How dare you!_ ”

“Now now, Roman,” Patton intervened. “You promised to do whatever Virgil wanted to do today, and he wants you to try pineapple on pizza, so it’s only right if you try it.” Roman sighed but bit into the pizza anyway.

The first word that came to Roman’s mind to describe the flavor is _confusing_ . Tasting the rich, savory flavor of the pizza mixed with the sweet-tart flavor of pineapple definitely tricked his taste buds, and yet it… worked, somehow. It was like a chimera - an amalgamation of different food types that somehow tastes _good_.

“It’s… not bad, actually,” Roman said hesitantly. He didn’t miss how Patton beamed and Virgil gave a small smile.

“Really?” the Anxious Side asked. “I thought you hated it.”

“Yes, well, I had never actually tried it before,” Roman explained. “It had always just seemed… wrong, somehow. I don’t know.”

“Well, it is nice to see the two of you acting amicably towards each other,” Logan stated, walking into the room. “Seeing you argue time after time again gets rather… tiresome, after a while.”

“You kiddos are awesome when you get along!” Patton’s smile was contagious; soon everyone was smiling.

“I will admit, Virgil, that I did enjoy my time with you, despite the shenanigans you made me do” Roman said. Virgil looked at him, astonished. “Even though I was begging for mercy at almost every minute, I had fun.”

“Yeah, well, me too, I guess,” Virgil said. “I didn’t even know it was possible for you to be humble until today.”

“Aw, you two are so cute!” Patton squealed. “How about we watch Black Cauldron and eat cake until we’re stuffed, huh?”

Yeah, it was definitely Virgil’s best birthday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if the ending was a little abrupt- I didn’t really have another ending in mind, lol.
> 
> As usual, comments, prompts, suggestions, and other stuff is welcome and encouraged!


	8. Movie Night Madness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Logan, Roman, Patton, and Virgil are just settling in for a movie night when Remus shows up. Shenanigans ensue.
> 
> Word count: 829

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this story single-handedly changed the rating of this fic from General to Teen. Oh well, I had fun writing this!
> 
> Also, whoops, another long chapter! If you guys like this length I can keep it up, but I plan on releasing a much shorter chapter soon.

Logan, Patton, Roman, and Virgil were gathered in their onesies in the common room for their weekly movie night. Large bundles of blankets and dozens of pillows were draped around the Sides in a makeshift pillow fort, and the Sides themselves were swaddled in a sea of fuzzy blankets. Placed in front of the group were a large variety of healthy snacks (Logan had insisted, much to the dismay of the others), and Patton had snuck in some chocolate chip cookies from the kitchen and distributed them among Roman and Virgil.

“Let’s watch a Disney movie!” Roman exclaimed.

“Dude, we’ve watched Disney movies for the past five weeks,” Virgil complained. “Let’s watch a thriller or something, I don’t know.”

“Or a romantic comedy!” Patton said. “We haven’t watched one of those in a while.”

“What about a calming nature documentary depicting the underwater ecosystem and how each organism functions in its environment?” Logan suggested. “I recently discovered a series focused specifically on ocean life. It’s quite fascinating”

“Nope, no, no, no,” the Anxious Side groaned. “I don’t need reminding of its impossible depth, and what’s at the bottom of the ocean, and all the fish that could eat you and -”

“Oh my, were we talking about eating things?” a new voice piped. Remus rose up behind the TV, a wild light behind his eyes. “I have some things on you that I would _love_ to taste.” He wiggled his eyebrows for extra emphasis.

“Ugh, no, Remus, you heathen!” Roman shouted. “Go away!”

“Oh please, dearest brother,” the darker twin drawled. “If I didn’t plan on staying I would have left already. Besides, these movie nights need some spicing up anyway. Now let’s watch _Saw_ ! I want to hear their screams. Ooh, or _Fifty Shades of Grey_ ! Now _that’ll_ be fun.”

Patton squeaked, his face horrified and turning beet red. “How about we don’t watch any… R-rated movies?”

“I agree with Patton.” Logan stood up and faced Remus. “Movie nights are supposed to be pleasant for all involved parties. You are the only one here who desires to watch Restricted movies, so I suggest we find an alternative.”

Remus flashed a wicked smile and leaned forward and put more weight on the TV. “Oh hush, dork. You just don’t want to have some real fun.” He leaned forward more and time seemed to slow down as the TV toppled over and splintered onto the ground with an ear-shattering crash. A stunned silence filled the room. Then shouting.

“MY DISNEY! HOW DARE-”

“Oh my gosh Remus! We need to clean-”

“Oh jeez, what’ll happen when Thomas-”

“Oh dear, that will cost a great deal of-”

The accusations quickly turned into quiet screams as Remus snapped and held everyone’s mouths in his hands. The area that would normally be dominated by one’s mouth was now completely smooth as though the mouth never existed in the first place. Everyone except for Logan glanced at Remus, varying degrees of terror and anger painting their faces. The Logical Side, on the other hand, merely lifted his hands and began signing. _I will not hesitate to bring in Thomas to have him mediate this conflict. Please desist before more dramatic actions occur._

“Oh stop it with your gang signs, nerd. You didn’t even sign the only sign that I know!” Remus brought his left hand underneath his chin and flicked his index and middle fingers out in a derogatory manner. Logan scoffed, rolling his eyes as he conjured a pen and paper and began writing what he had previously signed, along with the words “return our mouths back, please.”

Remus chuckled. “Well, since you asked so nicely!” He snapped his fingers and everyone felt their mouths appear back on their faces.

Patton was the first to speak again. “Kiddo, I wouldn’t mind if you hung out with us, but maybe in order for everyone to enjoy themselves you could maybe… turn down the shenanigans? Just a little bit?”

Remus contemplated for a moment, a smirk resting on his face. “As long as Marcidus can play with us too, daddy.” He winked, causing Patton to flush.

“Nu-uh, do _not_ call Patton that,” Virgil yelped. “And also, Marcidus?”

“Oh yes, my new companion!” A small, green, and very slimy octopus suddenly appeared on the trashy Side’s shoulder. “I can assure you he’s _very_ experienced.”

“Dear Maria, fine you can join us!” Roman shrieked. “Just shut up with the sex jokes, and only then you can count me in.”

Virgil smirked. “Nice.”

“Well then, it seems like we’ll be settling with board games for tonight.” Logan brushed himself off and straightened his tie. “I suggest everyone takes turns picking board games for everyone to play. That way, it is fair and everyone has at least one game that they want to play.”

Various affirmations chorused (Remus’s shriek of hideous laughter did not go unnoticed), and it seemed like Roman’s twin would finally get to be welcome into the fam-ILY.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Few things I wanted to say.
> 
> First of all, like my little music reference? Also, the sign that Remus knew was the actual ASL sign for “f**k you,” so if you want to use that you can. Just don’t blame me if you get in trouble. Marcidus’s name is part of the scientific name for the Blobfish, because I really like blobfish and I wanted to include them in the story. I had a different name for Marcidus originally, which many of you have read that version, but I decided that I didn’t like the name so I changed it. Hope you don’t mind.
> 
> I plan on writing more Remus very soon, so look forward to that! And I know, I made him out to be a little more of an asshole in this story than what I actually think of him, but he’s still my trash man and I love him, so no hate is being thrown, don’t worry.
> 
> As usual, comments, prompts, constructive criticism, and all that is welcome, encouraged, and appreciated!


	9. Not What They Seem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by Thesecondcookie: Patton finds out that the other dark sides aren’t as evil as they thought
> 
> Word count: 575

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I didn’t mean to make this angsty, but here we are. I also wrote this at midnight, so I apologize if some places seem awkward.

Patton walked through the Mindscape, humming softly to himself. Though Remus had just recently joined the Light Sides, he knew that there was still a lot of hesitation surrounding the other Creativity’s thoughts and antics, and Roman especially was hesitant to accept him. That didn’t stop Patton, though. He was determined to make Remus feel as loved and accepted as possible.

A crash echoed throughout the Mindscape, startling the Moral Side out of his thoughts. The door to Remus’s room burst open and both the newly-accepted Side and Deceit toppled out of his room and onto the floor, arguing to each other in loud voices.

“But if you DON’T go back for another video, they might NOT bully you again!” Deceit hissed, apparently not noticing the stunned father figment standing by them. Patton felt an icicle of regret pierce his heart, sharp and cold. “They might LOVE your ideas.”

“I know,” Remus replied shrilly. “I just want to make them see that we’re no different! It’s not  _ my _ fault that I can’t help but think what gouged-out eyeballs would taste like!  _ You _ can’t help that you lie all the time. I just-” Remus sighed, putting his head in his hands. The Deceitful Side put his hand on the other’s shoulder.

“Just what?” Patton finally spoke, startling the other two Sides.

Remus quickly put up a mask of fake happiness and spoke. “Oh, hello there, Patton! I was just thinking of new ideas to help Thomas relax! Say, what do you think of-”

“Remus, kiddo, you don’t have to pretend that everything is okay,” Patton said softly, the corners of his mouth lifting sadly. “I’ve seen that look in the mirror enough times to know when it’s fake.” The paternal figure sat down next to Deceit and Remus, whose gazes turned downcast. “If you want to, could you maybe tell me what’s going on so I can try to help you?”

Deceit lifted his gaze first. “All Remus aims to do is HURT Thomas by providing him with LESS ideas. He DOESN’T care about the video quality and originality, but EVERYONE listens to him because he’s THE SAME.”

Remus spoke next. “Dee here is self-preservation; he just wants to protect Thomas from things that could hurt him. And he genuinely believes that lying is the best way to do it sometimes. It hurts him to hear you convince Thomas to tell the truth, especially when there are consequences to being truthful. He can’t help but speak in lies. It’s who he is.”

Patton, having realized his terrible mistakes, now had tears flowing freely down his face. He immediately embraced the two oppressed Sides, who leaned into his hug instinctively, tears starting to drip down their faces as well.

“Kiddos, I’m s-s-so sor-sorry that I-I did that to you,” Patton whimpered. “I-I didn’t realize th-the harm I w-was cau-causing you an-and Thomas.” He tightened his grip on the two of them, his breathing slowly returning to normal. “I promise to all the cookies in the world that I will do everything I can to make you guys heard and loved and accepted. You aren’t evil, you’re just like us. You just want to help Thomas in everything that he does, and I’ll be darned if I don’t help you every step of the way.”

Even though his ears were muffled with the sounds of crying, Deceit could tell that the Moral Side meant every word of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, comments, prompts, and criticism are welcome and encouraged!


	10. Imagination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by LegendEmpress (MidnightLegend): Patton wants Roman and Remus to have some brotherly bonding time. The twins hate the idea at first but just go with it and actually end up having a good time.
> 
> Word count: 593

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a brief warning for mild blood and violence! Nothing much

Of all the situations Roman had been in in the Imagination, this was definitely one of the most unexpected. Patton had insisted that he and Remus spend some time together so they could have “family bonding,” as Patton put it, so here he was, fighting a wyvern with his brother.

Roman quickly shielded himself as the beast attempted to bite the princely Side. “Hey Dukey, get over here!” The wyvern spat a toxic, smoldering glob at Roman, which was quickly avoided. “This beast needs to look us in the eye as we slay it! Stabbing from behind is a dirty and foul trick!”

“I’m  _ trying _ to bash its spine in, Hans!” Remus jumped high in the air and swung his mace furiously, landing a solid hit on the back of the monster. This elicited an annoyed screech from the creature as it tried to swing the darker Creativity off its back to no avail.

“I’m ignoring that you called me Hans, but come here-” His words were cut off as the beast raked its sharp claws along Roman’s arm, releasing a cry of pain from Roman. He gritted his teeth as crimson stained his princely outfit, but he held up his katana anyway. His hands were shaking ever so slightly “Possum! Come here now!”

The darker Creativity ran along the wyvern’s back and onto its head, vaulting off with a flourish. He frowned as he saw Roman’s injury. “Now I may love hurting my brother, but other people hurting my brother is no fun.” Remus glanced at his twin, madness dancing like stars in his eyes. He grinned. “How about we do the ol’ Creativitwins to this lizard, shall we?”

Roman returned his brother’s smirk with his own. He crouched down, raising his shield above his body. Remus ran, vaulting his body over the shield and leaping into the air, mace raised. The wyvern roared, spitting venom, and aimed its toothy maw at Remus. He narrowly avoided the bite and landed on its head. Bashing the creature’s eye with his mace, the darker twin laughed gleefully as the wyvern screamed.

Meanwhile, Roman had dashed towards the body while Remus distracted the beast. Staying low to the ground, the Creative Side slashed the Achilles tendon, blood coating his katana. As the creature howled, Roman jabbed his sword up into the chest and through his heart, while Remus struck the wyvern on the side of its head. With one final snarl, the creature collapsed to the soiled ground. After a few moments, its heart ceased to beat.

Remus jumped off with a squeal. “Just like old times, eh brother? Man, I can’t wait to see what I can do with this venom. Ah, all the  _ pranks _ I could pull!” He paused and frowned, gazing at Roman’s wound. “Let’s get back to Mr. Goody-Two-Shoes, he’ll heal ya up.”

Roman grumbled. “Yeah, and get a lecture with it, too.” He looked at his brother. “It was… nice… to spend time in the Imagination with you again.”

“Yeah, I haven’t gotten to hit anyone really, so this was fun!” Remus bounced on his toes. “I just wished wyverns weren’t so thick-skinned. I would have liked to see it bruise and bleed and break its skull and-”

“Okay, Dukey, we’re leaving now, I’m getting dizzy.”

“Oh, so that’s why you were so appreciative of me! You aren’t in your right mind!”

“Oh shut up,” but Roman was grinning.

And so they left the Imagination in considerably high spirits and their once broken friendship starting to stitch itself back together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOLY HELL HOLY HELL HOLY HELL. DID YA’LL WATCH THE NEWEST SANDERS SIDES EPISODE?!?!?!? I. AM. SHOOKETH. I CANNOT STOP. SCREAMING.
> 
> Okay, rant over!
> 
> But in all seriousness, the episode was amazing, as usual, and I will NOT be giving out ANY spoilers until May 14, two weeks after it comes out so that way people have time to watch the newest episode. Anyone who comments ANY spoilers WILL GET REMOVED. THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED IN ANY. WAY. NOT EVEN HALF SPOILERS.
> 
> Anyway, the next chapter will be out very soon, don’t worry!
> 
> As usual, comments, criticisms, and prompts are widely appreciated, welcome, and encouraged!


	11. Panic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by SpiteFire_17: Virgil has a panic attack and only Remus is there to help him get through it.
> 
> Word count: 432

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told you there would be a new chapter soon! ;)
> 
> Trigger warnings for a panic attack in this chapter! If you feel like this might trigger you, then please do not read it. Stay safe everyone!

Virgil was crouched in his room, his breathing coming out in light, stuttering gasps. He couldn’t seem to fit any air in his lungs. His chest was tight- _too tight i_ _can’tbreathecan’tbreathecan’tbreathecan’t-_

His hands tangled in his hair, tugging, pulling, the strands coming out in chunks. He trembled and rocked back and forth, small pools of blood forming where the hair was violently ripped out. His cool tears cascaded down his face, but the touch, the _feeling_ , and _oh god no i can’t have it touch me oh god it BURNS!_

Virgil clawed at his hoodie, his skin hypersensitive, his ears roaring with noise even though it was silent, his eyes screwed shut against the light even though there was barely any. He was feeling a sensory overload, he somehow knew this through his muddy thoughts and conscience. It was too much, _he_ was too much, it- he- he-

He heard a soft voice through the deafening silence. He couldn’t tell who it was; his mind still felt like cotton and his vision swam. Virgil jerked back frantically when he felt something touch his knee and the hand retreated immediately. Sensing the positive intentions of the person in front of him, Virgil relaxed, scooting closer to the figure, who cautiously placed his hand on the Anxious Side’s knee. A finger started tapping, _4-7-8_ , his mind dully supplied. He tried his best to breathe but couldn’t inhale past the count of three without exhaling. The quiet voice kept encouraging him.

“... Doing great, Virgie, let’s try again, I know you can do it.”

Virgil breathed again, his lungs burning, but he managed to hold it the entire time.

“You’re doing amazing, emo raccoon, keep it up. Let’s do it again.”

After a few more rounds of breathing, Virgil felt his panic get replaced with exhaustion. Blearily, he opened his eyes and _ow my head hurts_. Crouched in front of Virgil was Remus, black shadows already formed underneath his eyes but he seemed strangely unperturbed by them. When he saw Virgil open his eyes and acknowledge him, his face washed with relief and he gave a toothy grin. “Look who’s back with the present. How’re ya feeling, Virgie?”

Virgil responded by flinging himself into Remus’s arms, who hugged him tightly after a moment of shock. He buried his face into the Creative Side’s shoulder, soaking the costume with his tears. Remus didn’t seem to mind.

“I’m tired,” Virgil muttered, falling lax in the embrace.

Remus chuckled in response and squeezed him tighter. “I’ll be here all night, emo. Go to sleep.”

And sleep he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, I had fun writing this chapter. Angst and hurt/comfort are my jams (we won’t forget you, Crofters).
> 
> As always, prompts, comments, and criticism is always encouraged. Blah blah blah, you know the drill


	12. Panic, Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by Janus_Sanders_is_my_snek_boi: Deceit has a panic attack because he’s been telling the truth so much. The other Sides have to try and help him
> 
> Word count: 550

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I guess whenever I have a panic attack chapter, it will just be named “Panic, Part ???”. Nothing wrong with that, it just shows how uncreative I am.
> 
> Anyway, spoilers for the newest Sanders Sides episode ahead (I won’t be mentioning spoilers after this chapter), and big trigger warning for panic attacks!

When Janus sank out of the common room after the most recent video, he collapsed onto the hardwood floor of his bedroom, exhausted. _Thomas_ really _needs some “me” time,_ Janus thought. _He needs it. He deserves it._

He reflected back to when he spoke with Thomas and the other Sides after the wedding. When Roman sounded so hurt, so _broken_ , after he asked the man if he was Thomas’s hero, he looked over to Janus. In response, Janus nodded, more sincere in that moment than he had been in a very long time. But Roman took the simple act the wrong way, interpreting the truth as a lie, and snapping as a result. And so, Janus came up with a conclusion.

_I’m telling the truth too much. I’m not doing my job, my purpose. I need to start lying more so the others can trust me._

_I need to lie._

With that simple thought, the last threads of composure melted away from the Deceitful Side. Janus’s breaths grew quicker and shallower. He couldn’t seem to get any air in.

_They’ll trust you if you lie._

_No, they WON’T!_

His vision started swimming, black spots dancing in his eyes. The soft noises around Janus became muffled, his ears ringing with the pressure. His hands were shaking, and _when had he taken off his gloves?_ He never remembered doing that.

Faintly, he heard voices surrounding him. A higher-pitched, concerned voice behind him. A lower, mildly-worried voice in front of him. A steady and calm voice on his left. A nasally, obnoxious voice on his right. A rich and dramatic voice farther away but still audible. 

The one on the left was speaking. “...7-8, Janus. Breathe in, you can do it, I know you can.” He focused on that voice and tried complying, but he could barely get enough air and quickly stuttered out his air.

“Try again, you’re doing well,” the voice said again. _Logan?_

The figure in front of him was rubbing small circles into the palm of his left hand, fingers brushing over his scales. Only one person does that used to do that. _Virgil?_

The figure behind him was rubbing his back softly, murmuring words of encouragement in his ear. _Patton?_

The presence on his right just sat there, a steady force through it all. _Remus?_

That would leave the other side as Roman.

After several rounds of breathing exercises, Janus finally managed to steady his breathing enough to look at the other Sides. Virgil looked pale but relieved. Logan’s facial expressions were difficult to decipher, but Janus was pretty sure the Logical Side was concerned. When his eyes settled on Remus, the darker Creativity pulled Janus into a rib-crushing hug that he quickly reciprocated. Patton rested his forehead on the crook of Deceit’s neck, wrapping his arms around his waist. Virgil interlocked their fingers, smiling softly, and Logan placed a hand on Janus’s knee.

Eventually, Janus sensed another figure walk up. Said figure took off the Deceitful Side’s hat and threaded a hand into his hair, lightly massaging his scalp. The snake hummed in response.

They would be okay. Maybe not now, maybe not in a day or a week or a month or even a year, but they would be okay. They would survive.

They would live.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Isn’t Janus amazing? My little snake boy needs more love and attention in his life.
> 
> I want to apologize that these have been coming out every two weeks. I know that that is the time limit I set on each chapter, I just wish that I could release more and write more. That being said, with school finishing up, I will try to update more. This fic isn’t going away anytime soon!
> 
> For those of you wondering, I will not be changing Deceit’s name to Janus in previous chapters. I will just be changing it in the future.
> 
> As usual, comments, criticisms, and prompts are welcome and encouraged! Do I need to even say this anymore? I feel like I’ve said it enough. Oh well.


	13. Cookie Cat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by Non_binary_pal: Patton teaches the Sides how to bake cookies!
> 
> Word count: 996

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaahhhh! I meant to post this yesterday, but it was already close to midnight and I was exhausted. Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about this, and if anything, now that school’s out, more chapters should be coming quicker!
> 
> And once again, this is a longer chapter. Oh well.
> 
> Warning for food mention!

One day, all the Sides were in the kitchen with a bunch of baking supplies and ingredients.

Roman was the first to speak. “What’s cooking, Padre?”

“Well, we haven’t had a famILY bonding day in a while, so I decided to teach everyone how to bake cookies!” Patton replied, beaming.

“Nice,” Virgil said. “We should make s’mores cookies.”

“Nonsense Virge, oatmeal raisin cookies are the much healthier choice.” Logan commented as the Creative Sides squawked in indignation. “Though, we should hear Patton out before we start metaphorically throwing around ideas.”

“I know something else we can throw around,” Remus smirked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

“No one is throwing anything unless it’s your body out a window when you misbehave,” Janus said pointedly, glaring at the darker Creativity.

“The proper term is ‘defenestrate,’” Logan stated.

“Okay, okay!” Patton interrupted, waving his arms around. “I found a recipe for making the cookie cats from _Steven Universe_ ! We don’t have any actual cutters for the cookies, though, so we’re just going to carve out the shapes using a knife. Of course, you don’t _have_ to use the cat face if you don’t want to.”

“Well, in that case, let’s get started. Patton, what’s the first step?”

He beamed. “Well, we need to preheat the oven to 325 degrees, but I already did that, so we can move onto the next step.” He walked over to the counter and picked up a bag of flour. “Now we need to measure and mix flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. For the flour, I like to scoop flour in smaller increments to make it more manageable, and so it doesn’t get everywhere. You only need a pinch of salt, so be careful not to add too much. Logan and Remus can come with me while the rest of you can work on the dry ingredients.”

When Patton and the other two left, Janus peered at the measurements. “The recipe _doesn’t_ say that we need two-and-a-half cups of flour, and- Roman, what are you doing?” The Creative Side had decided to forgo the measuring cups in favor of pouring the cocoa powder straight into the bowl.

“Roman, that might not be a good idea, buddy,” Virgil said.

“What? The more chocolate, the better the cookie,” Roman replied, finally placing the cocoa down. 

“And the cookie _definitely won’t_ taste dry, but let’s add the rest of the ingredients anyway,” said Janus.

Patton, Logan, and Remus walked to the electric mixer, where all the other ingredients were. “Here, we need to beat the butter, add sugar, and add in the extracts,” Patton explained.

“Ooh! Could I beat the butter with my mace?” Remus asked.

The Moral Side frowned thoughtfully. “I guess you could, but I don’t know if it would work as well…”

“Well, experimenting has always been a hobby of mine,” the Logical Side stated. “I would not mind testing it, especially if it happens to be more efficient than a mixer.” He glanced up at Patton, who paused for a moment before nodding.

“It doesn’t hurt to try, kiddos! Let’s butter up, buttercup!”

Faintly, Patton thought he heard Virgil mutter something, but he couldn’t make out the words.

Grinning, Remus summoned his mace and began smashing into the bowl over and over again, hard enough for the bowl to rattle but not hard enough to make the contents spill. After just a few minutes, the butter was completely whipped- better than any mixer would have been able to do.

Logan wiped off his glasses. “That was… surprisingly efficient, Remus.”

“Remind me to give you a call when I need to make some more _smashing_ cookies,” Patton joked, much to Logan’s dismay. “Let’s move on to the other steps, shall we?”

Finally, after much trial-and-error, several time-outs, some yelling, and spilled bags, the dough was made and ready to be cut.

“Now kiddos, you can cut your cookies into whatever shape you want, just be careful of the knives,” Patton said.

Janus turned to Remus. “If you use that knife on anyone or anything other than the dough, I will give Marcidus to Roman,” he threatened.

“Oh don’t worry, mom,” Remus mocked as the Deceitful Side scoffed. “I won’t, at least not now.” He winked, and Virgil slapped the side of Remus’s head in annoyance.

For several minutes, all was blissfully silent except for Roman’s and Remus’s humming while they concentrated. Logan was the first to finish as he stepped back and admired his work.

Patton smiled. “That looks great, Logan! What’s it supposed to be?”

He gave a soft smile. “This is an icosahedron, specifically a twenty-sided die.

Soon, the others finished their cookies as well. Virgil had carved a cloud with a lightning bolt. Roman had carved an intricate replication of the Disney castle. Janus carved a detailed snake. Remus carved a-

“Why does it have to be erect, dude?” Virgil groaned, his head in his hands.

“Because it represents my daily mood,” he replied, much to the dismay of the other Sides.

After almost twenty minutes, the cookies finally finished baking, and after allowing the residual heat to dissipate, the Sides ate their respective cookies.

“These taste incredible, my beloved baker!” Roman exclaimed, nearly tearing up at the wonderful taste of the rich, chocolaty goodness. “You simply _must_ teach us more recipes.”

“I will admit that I enjoyed myself immensely,” Logan said.

“It was oddly relaxing,” commented Virgil. “I wouldn’t mind trying that again.”

“It was… nice to do something mundane.” Janus adjusted his cape, looking mildly uncomfortable.

Remus grinned. “I want to do _more_ with baking cookies! What if I added bleach? Ooh, or hydrogen peroxide, or what about-”

“We can experiment another time, Remus,” Patton reasoned gently. “It was so sweet of you to bake with me! I kinda had wanted to do this for a long time, but I never really got the chance to, but let’s definitely do this again!”

And all the Sides agreed wholeheartedly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I used Rosanna Pansino’s recipe for the cookie part of the cookie cats. Here’s the link: https://rosannapansino.com/blogs/recipes/steven-universe-cookie-cat-ice-cream-sandwich
> 
> As usual, comments and prompts and stuff is encouraged and all that jazz. Yep.
> 
> Oh yeah! Do you guys think I should create a Tumblr for submitting prompts and posting minifics? Anything posted on Tumblr will also be posted here and vice versa.


	14. Join the Ranks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by Janus_is_my_snek_boi: Logan decides he wants to go to the Darks, and confronts the Lights about it
> 
> Word count: 998

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaaaaaand, we’re back into the angst after one chapter of fluff! Yay! And it's another "long" fic! Yay? Anyway, this particular chapter has slightly unsympathetic Roman and Virgil, so if that triggers you, please be careful! (It’s not major, I promise.)
> 
> Because this chapter has U! Sides, I have decided that none of these one-shots will be in the same universe as each other unless stated otherwise. Just a heads up!

“Just tell them straight up. Announce it! Bash their heads in if you have to!” Remus exclaimed. Logan, Remus, and Janus were sitting in Logan’s room, discussing their approach to how Logan was going to tell the others of his polyamorous relationship with the other two darker Sides.

But it was easy for Remus to say that; he hadn’t been living with the Light Sides for his entire life. Well, he  _ was _ a part of a whole Creativity for a while, but that didn’t matter. Logan knew that him outright stating that he was going to live with the Dark Sides from now on would not be taken well if delivered improperly. He would have to tread carefully.

“Logan, dear, while Remus may be right about being direct, I do believe you should… explain your decision as well,” Janus said, placing a hand on the Logical Side’s shoulder.

“Yes, I do believe they deserve to know that the three of us are together.” Logan adjusted his glasses before continuing, a nervous habit he had developed long ago. “I’m more concerned about the reaction the others will express. Will they understand me? Or condemn? Or will they ignore me, like they have done so often before in all of Thomas’s dilemmas?”

Remus grinned and pecked Logan on the lips. “Whatever they say, we’ll always love you, nerd,” the morbid Side declared. “Even if we have to grab your chopped-up pieces and stitch you back together like Frankenstein!”

“You mean Frankenstein’s monster?” Logan corrected.

“Yeah, sure, whatever.”

“And we’ll make sure that they  _ do _ hurt you, because god  _ forbid _ if they  _ don’t _ ,” Janus snarled. He laid his other gloved hand on Logan’s. “But really, if they don’t accept that you’re coming to live with us, then that’s their problem, not yours.”

The Logical Side swallowed. “Then I suppose I should elucidate everything to them.” He kissed the two sides briefly before standing up and brushing the metaphorical dust off his shirt. “I will summon you if I need assistance.” He gave a soft smile as he sank out.

Logan rose into the common room, where Patton and Virgil sat rewatching  _ Gravity Falls _ . He cleared his throat, earning the attention of the other two Sides.

“Salutations. May I summon Roman for a few minutes? I would like to hold a meeting.”

Patton frowned in concern. “Sure, kiddo. Is something wrong?”

“Not presently,” he replied. “I just have something I would like to say, and everyone should be present.”

“Okay, Lo,” Virgil said. “Let’s summon him. Hey Princey! Pocket Protector’s holding a meeting and he wants you here.”

Roman rose up, looking noticeably disgruntled. “Wow, rude much? You didn’t even give me the chance to fix my hair.”

“Guys, let’s listen to Logan right now,” Patton interrupted. “He wants to talk to us about something, and we should listen to him.”

_ Oh, now you listen to me, huh? _

“Thank you Patton.” Logan glanced at the other Sides, who were looking at him expectantly. He took a breath. “I will not-” he shuffled through his flashcards before pulling one out “-beat around the bush. I will be leaving to live with the Dark Sides from now on. Janus, Remus, and I are in a polyamorous relationship and would like to officially live together, if you understand what I mean. I wanted to call this meeting to explain my situation, and that I will be leaving tonight, so that you would not be… worried… about my sudden absence.”

A shocked, suffocating silence filled the atmosphere, pressing into Logan’s chest. A feeling, sharp as an icicle, ( _ nervousness _ , his brain helpfully supplied) spread throughout his body.  _ What if they don’t accept us? Am I a Side worth being ignored and forgotten? _ Logan dismissed these thoughts as cognitive distortions.

“Kiddo-” Patton began, but Virgil had something else to say.

“You’re  _ dating _ those two?!” he exclaimed. “Logan, buddy, I’m sure you’ve realized this by now, but Janus is a liar and Remus is violent and destructive. You can’t trust them! They could hurt you at any moment!”

“And my  _ brother?!” _ Roman shouted. “You know how villainous he is. Don’t lower yourself to his calibre! You’re  _ much _ better than him.”

“Roman! Virgil!” Patton scolded. “You know that Janus and Remus aren’t nearly as evil as you make them out to be! If Logan wants to date those two, then I support him, and you kiddos should, too. But… Why do you want to live with them? I’m just… wondering, is all. N-not that I have anything against it at all.” Patton chuckled awkwardly.

Logan fought to keep his face impassive while emotions threatened to burst out. “We want our relationship to be more open without criticism from you three. But since you can’t seem to accept us, I suppose I should take my leave so I don’t waste any more of your time. Goodbye.”

Before anyone could say anything, Logan sank out, a single tear tracing down his cheek.

Janus and Remus immediately looked up when Logan rose into the Dark Side commons. Upon seeing their lover’s distraught face, they stood up and embraced him tightly. Logan buried his face into Janus’s shoulder.

“Roman and Virgil, they-” Logan choked. “They didn’t like  _ us _ .”

Remus growled. “I will disembowel them slowly.”

The Deceitful Side looked murderous. “They  _ definitely will NOT _ be sorry for what they have done, but we can deal with the others later. We have other things to worry about now.” They stood in silence for a while, drinking in each other’s comforting presence.

After they had all calmed down, the three began packing up Logan’s belongings and transporting them to the Dark Side. After a couple hours, they were left with a bare room with only a single bed in the far corner.

“Are you ready, dear?” Janus asked.

Logan glanced back at his room for the last time and nodded. Taking his boyfriends’ hands, he took a deep breath in, closed his eyes, and sank out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will say, I'm not the biggest fan of U! Sides, but I wanted to add them for this chapter in particular because I wanted Logan angst (he's my favorite. What can I say?). I am planning on creating a Tumblr for you guys to submit prompts and keep up on updates and everything. Please let me know if you want me to create a Tumblr or not, and I will link it in the End Note of the next chapter I post.
> 
> Anyway, comments, prompts, criticisms- all that is welcome, encouraged, and appreciated. You guys are awesome!


	15. The King

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by Non_binary_pal: Roman and Remus fuse together and have to figure out what’s going on without letting the others see them
> 
> Word count: 992

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing a fusion is hard. Please tell me if anything doesn’t make sense, and if I need to correct or clarify anything.

When they woke up, there was a brief moment of confusion. Neither of them had fallen asleep in the common room, and yet, there they were. Or, more accurately, there _he_ was. When they- he- looked down at himself, he eyed the rainbow pajamas adorning his body with skepticism, then raised his hands to feel his face. Sure enough, there was a small, neatly-trimmed beard around his lower jaw, and he would bet money that his eyes were a heterochromatic color scheme of red and green.

Then the weight of what happened hit him.

“Remus, what the hell happened?!” the King screeched to himself. “Why am I _fused?_ ”

He sputtered. “How should I know, Mr. Goody-good,” he yelled back. “I woke up here with you! I should be asking _you_ the same question!”

“Bullshit! You did something! What kind of sick prank did you pull, Sweeney Trash?”

“Funny you say that, Roman. You do realize that I’m not always the so-called ‘villain,’ right?”

“Yeah, well, Janus compared me to you, so for all I know, we’re both villains.”

Romulus groaned and put his head in his hands. “Then Ro, I’ll rule our castle with you, just like I did when I was younger.” The words did little to reassure Creativity.

“But I can’t stay this way, Mulus,” he mused to himself. “I have no idea how this will affect the Mindscape!”

The King groaned. “Then off to the Imagination to fix this mess, I guess. Hey, what _does_ the Imagination look like now. It probably doesn’t even have my se- nope, not going there. Is the Dragon Witch still there? What about my subjects?” Romulus sighed.

“Only one way to find out.”

The Imagination looked very different from in the past. There used to be two definitive halves, one filled with madness and pure chaos, and the other bright with ecstasy and hope. Now, the sky had evened out to a beautiful, starry indigo. The trees were gnarled, aged, and towered over the fusion, thick roots rising up from the ground to create a natural forest floor. The sonorous cry of exotic birds mixed with the growls of other monsters deeper in. In the distance, a midnight-blue waterfall poured into a spring steaming with underground lava from a nearby volcano. The grand castle that stood near the spring was clearly aged, majestic, and well-loved, but still intimidating in a weird way. The land wasn’t horrifying. It wasn’t fairy-like.

It was perfect.

“Hot damn Tolkien,” Romulus murmured. “I need to fuse more often. Who should I go to? Well, only one person- er- _being_ knows how to fix this.” And so the fusion stepped onto the well-worn path towards the hut of the Dragon Witch. He hiked away from the forest and into a wild field filled with overgrown grasses and weeds. A sprite fluttered up to Romulus and nestled on his shoulder, sighing contentedly. Curious creatures poked their heads out from between the grass blades, peering at the fusion with a mixture of awe and caution. Still, they continued walking.

Upon arriving at the Dragon Witch’s lair, Romulus gently nudged the sprite off his shoulder (she flew off with a huff) and rapped on the entrance. The woman quickly answered the door, a scowl creasing her face.

“Now, I thought I told you t-” she cut off, her jaw dropping and her eyes wide with shock. “Romulus, my King. I didn’t expect to see you again. I apologize for such an improper greeting.”

He scoffed playfully. “That’s no way to greet an old student of yours, is it, Witch? C’mere,” he said, grabbing her arm and pulling her into a hug, in which she quickly reciprocated. “We actually have some questions about… me, since you were the one that taught me about fusion.”

“Of course, of course,” she said, pulling back. “Right this way.”

The Dragon Witch led Romulus into her cave, where she quickly conjured a table, chairs, and wine glasses for the two of them. “So, what do you have in mind?” she asked.

“Well, Roman and Remus woke up fused this morning, and I wanted to know why, so I went to you,” Romulus explained, sipping his wine.

The tutor leaned back thoughtfully. “It could be because Thomas is starting to accept himself more, and that he’s maturing as a person.” She sighed. “This could also lead to seeing a grey area in his creativity, and that he’s learning to see all aspects of it as useful and necessary, hence why you fused. Now, I do believe that you can still unfuse, but I don’t know what would happen to the Mindscape if you unfused now. But I will still help you if things go awry.”

Romulus thought to himself before speaking out loud. “I want to unfuse, but I want the Imagination to stay this way. Is that possible?”

The Dragon Witch smiled. “Only one way to find out.”

The King closed his eyes in response. “Okay. Am I ready? Yes, I’m ready.” A look of concentration creased his face before he finally flashed brightly in a dazzling display of red and green before the two separate Creativities emerged, holding hands with one another.

“Well that was a fun little ride, himbo!” Remus smirked “Next time I’ll have to ride something else!” He waggled his eyebrows for emphasis.

“What? Ew! No! We’re brothers!” Roman gagged before his twin interrupted him.

“I’m kidding, relax. I’m asexual!”

“... _WHAT?!_ ”

The Dragon Witch quickly cleared her throat. “While I love seeing you two banter, you two should probably leave for now. I’ll watch the Imagination while you’re gone.”

Roman and Remus looked at each other, conversing with their eyes. Finally, they glanced back at their tutor and nodded.

“I shall resume our rivalry soon, my fiendish friend!”

“I’ll bash your head in when I see you next, witch bitch!”

Then with dramatic flourishes, they both sank out, leaving the Dragon Witch alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I stan an ace Remus and an aro Roman. Can you tell that I like describing things? Cause I do.
> 
> So... uh... I was going to create a Tumblr, but there isn’t a way to add the “read more” button on mobile, which makes me unable to upload the fics, unfortunately. I will let you know once I’m able to find a way around it, though!
> 
> Anyway, prompts, constructive criticisms, and everything is welcome and appreciated!


	16. Emotions but Emotionless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Logan isn’t entirely wrong when he says “I don’t feel anything”
> 
> Word count: 609

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof, literally this entire chapter is me projecting onto Logan and venting about my issues that I’m to timid to seek help about. Enjoy!
> 
> There is a slight mention of blood, but it’s very minor, and it’s accidental.

_“I don’t feel anything.”_

Those words bounced around Logan’s mind as he sat at his desk, absentmindedly fiddling with a pen. The odd thing about the statement was that he was telling the truth. But he also wasn’t. He was aware that he had feelings- no matter how finicky and unwelcome they may be- but he couldn’t _feel_ them. They were there somewhere, but consciously, and even subconsciously, he couldn’t feel or recognize them. He didn’t know they were there. Most days, he experienced a general state of, well, nothing. Nothing at all.

It wasn’t an emotional _emptiness_ , per se. He didn’t _feel_ a metaphorical hole where emotions should be. No, his heart and primary emotional centers were completely full. Metaphorically, of course. But they were filled with nothing. Instead of an empty chasm, it’s a chasm filled completely with carbon dioxide. It’s full, but full of nothing and everything all at once.

The pen the logical Side had been fiddling with collided with the edge of the desk, splintering into a thousand tiny, jagged pieces. Logan could only glance down apathetically.

In the rare instances that he _did_ feel something, he couldn’t decipher what the emotion was, nor could he describe it in any way. All he knew was that it almost always hurt. Somewhere in his chest, usually right above his heart, it was just pure _pain_. It was the kind of pain that built pressure behind his eyes and the kind of agony that made Logan want to scream. Scream at the world for making him so complex broken. 

There would be times when a Side would wander into his room for information about a certain topic. Space, the human body, moral dilemmas- those were common subjects for him to infodump on. One particular day, Patton had barged into Logan’s room asking about all the different breeds of dogs, and the logical Side had obliged, telling him everything he knew. During the time, he noticed a peculiar change in Patton’s demeanor. He didn’t seem to be listening to Logan, really, but rather studying him. The moral Side beamed as he examined and his eyes appeared to gleam in a rather peculiar way. He had tapered off, confused by the expression, when Patton had said:

_“I love hearing you talk about these things, Logan! You always look so happy whenever you rant!”_

Happy. That word. It meant nothing to Logan. While he talked, he had observed no change in himself, nor did he feel anything different. It was just that same cloud of nothingness that was ever-present in his body. He didn’t know what happiness felt like. Or, if he _did_ feel it, he couldn’t recognize it. He didn’t know if he would ever know.

A shard of plastic from the broken pen suddenly jabbed into Logan’s skin, causing him to hiss out in pain. He observed as blood trickled from the small wound in his hand. He summoned a band-aid and carefully covered the cut. He would clean it later.

Logan, despite what many believe, doesn’t repress his “feelings.” Or at least, he doesn’t do it consciously or on purpose. And yet, Patton, always looking out for others, encourages him to share his feelings, to not keep them metaphorically bottled up. What feelings? How can he say anything when he feels nothing 78.3 percent of the time? And the times that he _does_ feel something, how can he say what they are? He can’t describe them, he can’t identify them, and frankly, they hurt. That’s all he knows. That’s all he cares to know. After all, all he can feel is nothing.

Nothing at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt like writing this, so I did. I am not ashamed.
> 
> As always, comments, criticisms, prompts, and everything in between is welcome and appreciated!


	17. Word Association Games

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summary: Logan plays word association games with the twins
> 
> Word count: 494

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You’d think I’d be chugging these fics out, right? But my brain insists “hur hur hur ✨nope✨“ so I’m stuck here. Yay?

Logan rose into the common room to find Roman and Remus watching and throwing popcorn at the television. Roman had laid down on the couch, one leg over the armrest and the other dangling off the front. Remus had arranged himself so he was sitting upside down over the back of the couch while he chewed on popcorn. The Logical Side found it miraculous that he hasn’t choked yet.

Both looked over when they saw Logan.

“Hey Poindexter!” Remus crowed, tossing a handful of popcorn at him. “We were just making fun of shitty movies! Wanna join us?”

“I don’t-”

“And no making up an excuse either,” added Roman. He gazed pointedly at Logan. “I know your schedule, and you’re a few days ahead. So shut up and join us.” He patted the cushion next to him. 

Logan blinked. “You actually listened to me this morning? You never do that.”

The Creative Side raised an eyebrow. “Thomas is leaving for a convention in a week, and knowing that his next video is going to completely rock the audience, I felt like we should actually try to get shit done.” He said it so matter-of-fact, so…  _ simply _ . Knowing Roman’s typical verbiage, it was a little jarring. “So I listened to your schedule so I could work around that.”

“I… appreciate that, Roman.” Logan adjusted his glasses unnecessarily.

“We’re watching  _ Who Killed Captain Alex _ , Specs!” Remus said. “Come on!” A green tentacle suddenly protruded from the trash man’s back. It wrapped around Logan’s wrist and dragged him towards the couch. “It’s so bad it’s good. Just look at these beautiful green-screen effects!” A fake, clearly CGI helicopter flew in the sky.

“There is nothing beautiful about this at all,” Logan deadpanned. “These graphics are terrible.”

“Exactly!” Remus crowed, flopping on top of Logan. The Logical Side grunted in discomfort as the air left his lungs.

“Precisely,” Roman butted in, grinning. Logan couldn’t help but notice that the grin looked calculated. And yet, he couldn’t help himself but say the next word.

“Accurate.”

A predatory glint shone in Remus’s eyes. “Right!”

“Definitely!”

“Quite.”

“Damn straight!”

“Don’t you mean ‘damn gay’?” Roman teased, playfully kicking Remus. And despite himself, Logan couldn’t help but chuckle. As dramatic and annoying as the twins were, he found them to be surprisingly pleasant company. 

When Roman and Remus heard the laugh, they stopped and looked at Logan in awe and wonder. “Sweet Google, we made the nerd laugh,” Roman exclaimed.

“Well, then let’s do this again,” said Remus. “Weapons, go!”

“Sword!”

“Mace!”

“Sai!”

And Logan stayed there, playing word association games with the twins until the sun set and the moon revealed its face. And when Logan sank out into his room to sleep, he would never admit to the beaming smile that suddenly painted his cheeks. He would deny all accusations saying he fell asleep grinning. But he will confess that he loves word association games, no matter who they’re with

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear and promise on my soul that I’ll write more Virgil and Patton content. Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about our favorite father figure and worry wart!
> 
> LET👏LOGAN👏FEEL👏HAPPY👏PLEASE👏
> 
> Meanwhile, comments, criticisms, suggestions, and prompt suggestions are welcome and encouraged!


	18. Delicious Delirium

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by Loyal-To-My-Fandoms: Thomas comes back from the dentist all hopped up on drugs. This causes Remus to act super... well you get it. The others have to help him
> 
> Word count: 605

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was fun to write.
> 
> Several warnings for dentists, delirium, drugs used by dentists, blood mentions, mild body horror, some swearing, and Remus being Remus

Thomas was really, really tired. And also really giggly, though he couldn’t figure out why. Maybe because of the anesthesia shot the dentist gave him. Thinking of the word “shot” reminded him of the Vine with the screaming kid, and he couldn’t help but voice it aloud. He felt a hand grip his shoulder.

Joan looked at him through tired eyes. “Sanders, you really need to rest. You’re really loopy right now. Though, recording this would be really fun,” they finished with an afterthought.

Thomas whined. “But I don’t want to sleep! I want to watch Vines!”

“Dude, you were literally made famous because of Vine,” they sighed. “I think you’ve seen enough of them. Besides, I can already see your eyes starting to close. Go to sleep, dude. You’re really drugged up right now.”

“Okay okay.” He yawned. It felt like weights were hooked onto his eyelids. What would it feel like to hook dumbbells onto his eyelids? Would they tear off? Nope, his creativity (what was his name again? Oh yeah, Remus!) was influencing him again. When would he see him again? Who knows? Who...”

With that thought, Thomas drifted off, the low rumble of the car lulling him to sleep.

Meanwhile, in the Mindscape, things weren’t so calm. 

“REMUS I SWEAR TO GOD, STOP SUMMONING BLOOD!” Virgil yelled, grabbing the Creative Side’s wrists. “YOU’RE A WALKING DISASTER!” A splash of blood stained his hoodie, making his scream.

Remus giggled. A droplet of blood splattered onto his nose. “But I want to bake something! What would happen if I poured in-”

“I give up. I can’t anymore. I swear he’s crazier than me on Halloween.” Virgil stormed out of the room, leaving Remus alone.

He smiled an unusually unhinged and crooked smile and stood up. His head spun in a delightful way and he felt like he was floating. Soaring above the clouds with no one to tear him down. He laughed deliriously.

Remus stumbled to the kitchen, blearily glancing at the recipe book before flinging it onto the floor. He didn’t need it- you could do anything if you could taste rainbows! He whipped open the cabinets and pulled out ingredients for… something. He’ll decide on the way. Though, he did see a trail of 5-headed, bloodied salamanders march across the counter, so maybe the baking will have to wait.

And it was at that time that Patton and Virgil ran into the room, clearly panicked. Patton’s face had a dick for a nose. Heh. 

“You have a penis on your face,” Remus chortled. “I wonder if-”

“Nope, not now kiddo.” Patton grabbed the Creative Side’s arm and led him carefully towards the living room. “You’re a bit… off right now, and someone should stay with you. You need to rest and recover. We can bake later if you want.”

“But-”

“Look, trashman,” Virgil sighed. “You’re high as a cloud right now. You need to rest before you hurt yourself.”

Remus swayed on his feet, his eyes wide and glassy. “Why is your skin pink?”

“Okay, yeah, you’re going to bed.” Virgil summoned a blanket and draped it over him. “Don’t try to leave, or I’ll drag Janus in here.”

“Aw. But I wanna see Jan-jan!”

Virgil blue screened. “You- _you have never called Janus that in your entire li-_ I give up. Patton, please stay with him. I can’t anymore.”

The Moral Side sat next to Remus, lifting his hand and cupping it with the other. “Sleep well, kiddo. I’ll be here if you need me.”

“What if Monet cut out his liver?” Remus’s eyes drifted closed as his consciousness faded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompts, suggestions, constructive criticism, and all that is welcome and encouraged!
> 
> Oh yeah! I forgot to tell you guys that I have a Tumblr now! Go check me out if you want! https://remy-the-lemon-berry.tumblr.com/


	19. All I’ve Ever Known

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by OctolingO: Deceit, Roman, and musicals/Disney/Broadway
> 
> Word count: 936

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I might have gotten a little carried away with the Roceit, but that’s okay. I do what I do best and I make it gay.
> 
> The song is “All I’ve Ever Known” from the Broadway show Hadestown.

Hollow footsteps echoed through the empty room. The floorboards creaked and bent with every step Janus took. Even though there was most likely no one around for miles, the deceitful Side still walked warily, as though someone were about to walk in on him. Sure, the only person in the Imagination at the moment was likely only Roman, he still didn’t want him to see what he was about to do. No one could know.

It was his greatest secret. No one knew that Janus constantly snuck out to the Imagination to perform to an empty theatre. No one knew that he belted his sorrows and dreams to an echoing stage, the spotlight burning his shoulders and illuminating his figure. No one knew that he was perhaps the most emotional Side when performing, because that was the only time where he could truly express himself.

And so Janus stood next to an old record player and summoned his favorite vinyl. He placed it on the player and moved the needle, starting the music. And he lost himself immediately.

_ “I was alone so long, I didn't even know that I was lonely. Out in the cold so long, I didn't even know that I was cold. Turned my collar to the wind. This is how it's always been.” _

__ Janus spun around the stage, voicing the passion of Eurydice, pouring out his sadness and desperation as though it were hers.  _ “All I've ever known is how to hold my own. All I've ever known is how to hold my own. But now I wanna hold you, too.” _ At this, he fell to his knees, clutching himself desperately. Tears threatened to be released. And he belted.

_ “You take me in your arms and suddenly there's sunlight all around me! Everything bright and warm and shining like it never did before! And for a moment I forget just how dark and cold it gets. All I've ever known is how to hold my own.” _

A tear slipped out and dripped down his cheek. How pathetic, singing his own desires through a song about a young teenage lover. But he still felt the instrumental swirl and flow around him. And he couldn’t help himself.  _ “All I've ever known is how to hold my own, but now I wanna hold you. Now I wanna hold you, hold you close. I don't wanna ever have to let you go. Now I wanna hold you, hold you tight. I don't wanna go back to the lonely life.” _

__ And he put all of his yearning and longing in that last word, his voice quivering before falling silent once more. He never heard the footsteps behind him until he heard the rich, soothing, and melodic voice that accompanied it.

_ “I don't know how or why or who am I that I should get to hold you?” _ Janus wheeled around, stunned. Roman stood there, his face oddly open and emitting the same passion that the deceitful Side had felt himself.  _ “But when I saw you all alone against the sky- it's like I'd known you all along.” _ He stepped closer to Janus and delicately took a gloved hand in his own. His human side of his face flushed bright red as Roman gazed him in the eyes. And when he pulled Deceit closer, he would forever deny the squeak that came out.  _ “I knew you before we met, and I don't even know you yet. All I know is you're someone I have always known.” _

__ _ “All I know is you're someone I have always known. And I don't even know you. Now I wanna hold you, hold you close. I don't wanna ever have to let you go.” _ Their voices harmonized beautifully. One of the Prince’s hands continued to hold the other’s while his other hand pressed against Janus’s lower back, pulling them flesh against each other. Janus’s heart fluttered, and heat flared through his body. He put his unoccupied hand on the other’s shoulder, right in the crook of the neck. And he couldn’t help but feel entranced by Roman’s gaze, the pure passion sweeping him up like no song has done before.

_ “Suddenly the sunlight, bright and warm,” _ Janus sang softly.

_ “Suddenly I'm holding the world in my arms,”  _ Roman finished. And they twirled around the room, the creative Side leading them in a dance meant for no one else. Janus kept his eyes on him the whole time, completely and utterly captivated. And when he noticed Roman doing the same, he leaned up and pressed his lips to the other. Fireworks exploded behind Janus’s eyes when the prince kissed back, slow and smooth, and the world around him dissolved as his eyes fluttered shut. Vaguely, he could feel hands lifting him and spinning him around, but all he cared about were the sweet and slightly chapped lips on his, and the hum of the instrumental in the background. 

They finally parted, Roman setting Janus down gently. When Deceit gazed up, the prince looked back at him. His eyes were sparkling and splashes of red painted his cheeks. It was the most beautiful thing Janus had ever seen. And so he sang.

_ “Say that you'll hold me forever. Say that the wind won't change on us. Say that we'll stay with each other and it will always be like this.” _

__ _ “I'm gonna hold you forever. The wind will never change on us. Long as we stay with each other,” _ Roman replied, wrapping the smaller Side in his arms. He held Janus securely as they harmonized the last line.

_ “Then it will always be like this.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just recently watched Hadestown. I heard this song and I immediately thought of Roceit, and then I remembered that I had a prompt about something exactly like this! So here we are.
> 
> For those of you who are wondering, I was planning on ending this series at chapter 30 to focus on other fics, but I would gladly continue this if you enjoy reading this and giving prompts! Let me know in the comments!
> 
> Anyway, let me know of any prompts, suggestions, criticisms, compliments, anything you want in the comments (as long as it’s appropriate)! They highlight my day!


	20. A Touching Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by Loyal-To-My-Fandoms: Janus loves warmth but hates being touched, ESPECIALLY on his scales that are pretty sensitive. Remus, on the other hand, is a very touchy feely person but doesn’t realize he hugs too hard and people think he is attacking them. Because Janus is the one dark side he is around Duke always wants physical attention from him but Janus never wants any part of it. This causes Remus to try some crazy antics to get it from him. (whew)
> 
> Word count: 994

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to write and post this a few days ago, but then executive dysfunction hit and I couldn’t do anything. Anyway here’s the chapter (and no, I’m not apologizing for the title).
> 
> Warnings for this chapter: blood, mentions of body horror, sexual innuendo, food (kinda), swearing

Remus groaned. Why was this so damn  _ hard? _ All he wanted was Double Dick to hug him! How hard was that?! Would he have to gut himself and wrap his intestines around the two of them to force them together? Maybe he could trap him and Janus in concrete and make it so they had to claw their way out, while blood ran down their hands from their broken fingernails…

Remus summoned a raw egg and bit into it. The shell cut the inside of his mouth.

Maybe he could try to fit in a tiny space? Like how a lightbulb can fit into your mouth but you can’t pull it back out! Yeah! And then Janus would have to pull him out!

He made up his mind.

Remus sank out of his room and into the Dark Side living room. It was similar to the Light Side living room, except darker, dustier, and much more neglected. The furniture was sparse and worn. The gashes in the walls from Remus’s mace only added to the ambiance.

The Creative Side leapt onto the couch, wiggling himself between the cushions and the back of the couch. It was a tight squeeze, and he didn’t fully fit, but he managed to smush himself in. His feet and forearms stuck out, but otherwise he was trapped. Perfect. Now to wait.

The Deceitful Side rose into the living room a few minutes later. Remus heard him walk over to the couch and pause. An audible sigh was voiced.

“Remus, what are you doing?” Suddenly, Janus’s face peered over where Remus hid.

“I’m stuck.”

“Yes, I can see that,” Janus replied dryly.

A pause. “Can you help me get out? I tried using my tentacles but instead they-”

“Alright, alright, enough.” Deceit summoned an extra pair of arms to grab onto Remus’s ankles while his other arms grabbed onto his forearms. And  _ oh _ , the touch burned  _ so much _ and Remus  _ couldn’t get enough of it _ .

Janus tugged, and Remus was yanked out of his self-induced prison. So naturally, the Duke glomped onto the other in response. Deceit yelled in surprise as he fell to the ground, Remus on top of him. The darker Creativity didn’t notice the other stiffen when all he could feel was the all-consuming fire under his skin.

Janus tried to push him off to no avail. “Remus, get off me or we won’t watch  _ Midsommar _ for our movie night tomorrow.”

Remus pouted. “But hugging you feels good!”

“Not to me it doesn’t! And especially not when you throw me on the floor!”

Remus grumbled but rolled off anyway. “You’re no fun.”

Janus smiled slightly. “We can push Virgil down the stairs tomorrow if you want.”

“Can we pour blood on him too?”

“No.”

“Fine.”

A week passed and Remus was getting desperate. He remembered Logan telling him that snakes fought by wrestling with each other, and the barest hints of an idea edged Remus’s consciousness.

He sank out of his room and into the common room, where Janus sat with Patton. The two of them were discussing something about baking. Remus didn’t really care enough to listen closely. All his brain was focused on was “hug” and “salmonella”.

So Remus made the only logical decision and tackled Janus off the couch.

Patton emitted a piercing shriek of surprise while Janus shouted.

“REMUS-”

The yell was cut off when the Duke pinned him to the ground, one tentacle covering his mouth. Janus glared up at Remus. From his seat on the couch, Patton looked confused and concerned. 

“Remus, what are you doing?!”

“I’m trying to get J-anus to fight like a snake! Y’know, wrestling and shit!”

Deceit managed to dislodge the tentacle over his mouth. “I may be part snake, but I don’t have every single quality that a snake has. Now, get off me. I definitely  _ don’t _ have plans for today.”

“But you never touch me! And when you do it burns and I love it!”

That wasn’t supposed to come out. Oops.

Patton stood up and crouched next to Remus, putting a hand on his shoulder.  _ Oh my god it burned. _

“Remus, kiddo, you might have touch starvation. But can you please get off of Janus? I think you’re making him a little uncomfortable.” Patton gently pulled on Remus’s arm, prompting him to stand up, which Remus did so reluctantly.

The Duke pondered for a moment. “Touch starvation sounds like a too-tame version of cannibalism.”

Patton cringed. “Maybe.” He looked at Remus. “Can I hug you?”

He blinked. “You… never want to hug me.”

The Moral Side sighed. “Touch starvation isn’t fun to deal with, kiddo, and though you might be a little… weird, I don’t want you to suffer either.” He held out his arms for Remus.

He responded by tackling Patton onto the couch, wrapping him tightly with his arms and tentacles. The father figment responded in kind, hugging him securely.

There was silence for a moment. Then Janus spoke. “Remus, it’s not that I don’t care about you. It’s that… I absolutely  _ adore _ touch. I believe the technical term is ‘touch-aversion’. And, well, that’s why I don’t touch you. But… I suppose we could work out a compromise, if you crave it that much.”

Patton smiled. “Maybe you two should have a conversation about boundaries and consent?”

“Like sex!” Remus blurted out.

“That’s a  _ terrible _ comparison,” Janus admitted.

Patton continued hugging the Duke, rubbing his back gently. “It’s crudely phrased, but it’s not a bad analogy.” He massaged his upper back, and Remus melted into him.

“We can talk about this later,” said Janus. “Let’s make sure Remus gets his hugs for today.” The Side in question held out his hand, and Janus took it gently, running his thumb over the back of his knuckles. Deceit had to admit that while it wasn’t the most comfortable for him, he could get used to small touches like this.

Maybe things would work out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have another prompt that I’m working on, but feel free to send more prompts, criticisms, compliments, all that stuff. They are welcome, encouraged, and appreciated!


	21. Internal Clock in Smithereens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by All_hail_Janus: Hey, can you do one where the sides meet Remy? Like, I know they've always known what 'sleep' is, but can you try to make one where they meet the physical embodiment of Thomas’s sleep?
> 
> Word count: 728

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I KNOW, I KNOW, I KNOW, I KNOW!!! THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE POSTED A WEEK AGO!!! I KNOW, AND I CAN’T SAY I’M HAPPY THAT I MISSED THE DEADLINE.
> 
> But it’s here now, so it should be okay... right?
> 
> Anyway, life got in the way, and I’m really sorry about that, but I’m trying *shrugs*. I’m still working on this, so don’t worry!
> 
> Oh yeah! Chapter title from the song “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead” by Set it Off. You should listen to it- it’s so good!

Thomas layed in bed, impossibly awake despite it being four in the morning. His body was exhausted- all he wanted to do was just _sleep_. He had done everything perfectly to the book: no electronics before bed, eat a small, healthy snack beforehand, and go to bed at a reasonable time. But even still, sleep completely evaded him. 

It was odd. He’d been working on improving his circadian rhythm for a few weeks now, and it was relatively regular.

Until the previous night, of course.

It was then that the insomnia hit him. His internal clock broke just as quickly as it was fixed. He couldn’t sleep, and Thomas couldn’t figure out why. Sure, he had intrusive thoughts (thanks Remus), but they definitely weren't graphic enough to pose a problem, and there were less than normal. In hindsight, it was a little odd that Remus was so quiet, but he dismissed it. He just wanted to sleep. He was so tired.

Meanwhile, the six Sides lay collapsed on the couch in the commons. Like Thomas, their eyes were all bloodshot while their minds were awake.

Well, kind of.

Logan was curled up against Virgil’s side, which he would never have done if he were more conscious. Roman’s head rested on Janus’s chest while the deceitful Side’s legs were propped on Patton’s lap. Remus was sprawled over all of them. They’ve been awake for forty-eight hours with no hope of sleep despite their exhaustion.

Janus ran a hand through Roman’s hair. “We need to do something about this,” he murmured, though he clearly wasn’t willing to move.

“You’ve been saying that for the past thirteen hours, and yet you haven’t moved,” Logan commented. “But yes, this is bothersome.”

“I’m too tired to give Thomathy my juiciest ideas!” Remus threw his arms up half-heartedly, accidentally punching Virgil in the jaw. The anxious Side slapped him in retaliation, but there was no force behind it.

Silence blanketed the Sides once again, thick and heavy. One could practically _feel_ the fatigue sitting in the air. The stillness was only broken by the occasional yawn- a contagious chain of exhaustion that overtook everyone. 

It was then that the mindscape shifted, and the Sides were roused from their stupor. Roman sat up, alert for some unseen reason.

“Someone just left the Imagination,” he muttered, jumping up and running to his room. Remus followed right behind.

“Hurry up, fools!” the darker Creativity crowed over his shoulder. The others scrambled off the couch, stumbling over each other as they hurried towards the Imagination.

They paused when they saw Roman standing in the entrance of his room, frozen in surprise and confusion. Leaning on the doorframe across from the creative Side was a figure none of them had seen before.

Logan spoke first. “Roman? Who exactly is this?”

The figure smirked. “Babes, for someone so smart you’d think you’d be able to read.” He gestured to the tag on the front of his shirt.

Patton peered at it. “So you’re Sleep?”

“Where the _fuck_ have you _been_ ?!” Virgil growled. “We haven’t been able to function at all without you. And for _what_ ? So you could go to _Starbucks?_ ” He glared pointedly at the cup in his hand.

“Mhm,” Sleep said, taking a sip from his drink. “Look sluts, I gotta have my own breaks too. Chill the eff out.

“ _YOU WERE GONE FOR TWO DAYS!”_

Sleep shrugged. “Sounds like a you problem.”

Roman sputtered. “You were the one who decided to leave, Insomnia Dookie.”

Sleep lowered his shades. “And now I’m back, so deal with it babes.”

“Wearing sunglasses indoors cannot be good for your eyesight,” Logan commented.

The leather-clad figment swirled his drink. “They’re prescription.”

“Whatever,” Janus grumbled, flicking his wrist and silencing the figment. “Now make Thomas sleep tonight or I’ll send Remus for your coffee.” He released his hold on the coffee gay, giving him an indignant glare.

“Yeah yeah, okay bitch,” Sleep snarked, pushing past the Sides. “Oh, and if you sluts need me, just call for Remy, m’kay babes?” Remy turned back briefly, pulling down his sunglasses and winking before disappearing.

A stunned silence filled the room. Then Virgil spoke. “Petition to never speak of him again.”

“Signed,” Roman muttered.

Janus fiddled with his cape. “Now, let’s all get some sleep before I get the urge to push Sle-Remy down the stairs.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to leave a comment for a prompt idea, criticism, compliment, anything!
> 
> Oh yeah, and feel free to visit me on Tumblr! My account is @remy-the-lemon-berry!


	22. Illusions of Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by Janus_is_my_snek_boi: Janus, who secretly has a crush on Remus, sees that Remus has been hanging more around Virgil, so he makes a plan with Roman (who doesn’t think Virgil is good for Remus) to try and break them up. It ends up as a big mess.
> 
> Word count: 937

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m back, did you miss me? (Your mom misses you!)
> 
> Anyway, I KNOW, I KNOW. IT’S BEEN A MONTH. I’M NOT RESPONSIBLE, OKAY?! Nah, but seriously, I hate school with a burning passion. Anyway, I finally finished this minific, so here you go!
> 
> Janus and Roman are kind of jerks in this? They made some selfish decisions I guess, and they probably could have gone about it a little better. Other warnings for mild blood mentions as well as mentions of other... stuff, and some swearing.

Thomas was twelve years old, and he had developed his first ever crush on a boy. It was the kind of crush that made your heart achy and fluttery, the kind that made your face heat up whenever you thought about that person, the kind that made you want to touch and hold that special someone until you both rotted away into nothing. And naturally, since his Sides were a part of him, they too were feeling the side effects of young love.

Mainly Deceit, who was terribly and hopelessly infatuated with the Duke.

Deceit couldn’t help it, of course. In comparison to the other Sides, Duke was just so… _bold_ and _loud_ and _flamboyant_. Even after the split, he had still seemed completely unique and himself, unlike his brother, who always seemed to be missing half of himself.

That other half never seemed to want to be around his brother, however, and he instead hung around Anxiety. Deceit never really understood why that was- it always seemed like Anxiety was more afraid of the Duke than anything. But they hung out regardless, and the burning pinprick of jealousy flared whenever he saw them disappear together.

And he didn’t expect his feelings towards the Duke to be so _passionate_ , either, which is why sitting in the same room as the Prince, both of them fuming in anger and jealousy and passion, was such an unexpected surprise.

The Prince pounded his fist onto the table between them. “I don’t like Anxiety hanging out with my bastardly brother,” he growled.

Deceit hummed. “I _totally_ think they’re good for each other.” He leaned forward and placed his elbows on the table. He gave a toothy grin at the Prince. “How about we split them up, hm?”

The Prince scowled but leaned forward anyway. “I’m listening, snake. What’s your plan?”

“Simple. We each distract one of them. You can take Anxiety and I’ll take the Duke. Make sure they don’t interact as much.”

The Prince flashed a smirk. “I see where this is going.” He stood up, smoothing down his sash. “Very well, I shall distract Anxiety so you can get _tu amante_. Have fun, deceptive delinquent.”

The Prince then sank out of the room, leaving the other in contemplative silence.

* * *

“Princey, I don’t trust you.”

Anxiety and the Prince were going on a quest to defeat the Prince’s newest enemy, the Dragon Witch. The anxious Figment glared at the other. “You never want to hang out with me, so you obviously want something from me. Spill.” He pulled out a dagger and spun it idly on his finger.

The Prince scoffed. “ _I_ don’t have any nefarious plans, emo nightmare. I just wanted to spend time with you. Are you really so suspicious of me to only see me as a vile villain?”

Anxiety gave a scathing look. “Well obviously, since the last time you wanted to ‘hang out’ with me, you just tied me up and left me in a tower! You just don’t want to see me enjoy myself, do you?”

“That’s not true!”

“Then what _is_ true? What is true, Princey? Because for all I know, you could be tearing me away from the Duke because you don’t like him, and you don’t like me either!”

“Because Deceit’s in love with the Duke!” the Prince blurted out before quickly covering his mouth.

A stunned silence filled the room. Then suddenly, Anxiety’s chuckles echoed throughout the land. “Oh, this is gonna be fun.”

The Prince recoiled. “What do you mean by ‘fun,’ Jack Smellington?” The other stayed annoyingly silent. “Answer me!”

“Oh, you’ll see, Princey,” Anxiety smirked, his eyes flashing dangerously. “You’ll see.”

* * *

Deceit stepped back from his mural. It was dirty and gorey- completely _not_ his style- but it was what the Duke enjoyed, so he put up with it. Speaking of the Duke, the green-clad man was splattering blood and other… _unsavory_ liquids on his mural. His heart fluttered. How the other managed to be so demented yet so absolutely adorable was completely beyond him.

The Duke’s voice roused him from his thoughts. “So, snakey, why did you want to do this with me? I thought it clashed with your whole yellow gig. Y’know, I know I could find some-”

“Ah, yes, I- ah- merely wanted to spend some time with you. You’re always spending time with Anxiety, so I just wanted a day with you.” Leave it to him to be passive-aggressive.

“Oh yeah, Anxiety! You know, the two of us vandalized my dearest brother’s castle yesterday. I didn’t know the little punk had it in him to draw a dick, but Danger Days always brings out a different side of him.”

Pain pulsed through Deceit’s heart. “Ah, yes. I am fully aware. Last time he listened to that album he smashed all the plates in the kitchen and proceeded to cry.”

“Oh yeah! He came up to my room and we had our first kiss then!”

The whole world stopped.

No.

No way.

“Your-”

“Our first kiss, yep!” The Duke beamed at the ceiling. He turned to Deceit. “You know, I thought you would have been smart enough to notice that we were dating, my good bitch. You peachy, Dee?”

Deceit forced a strained smile. “Absolutely _wonderful_ , dear Duke. _Never been better_.” He turned around and placed a spray can on a nearby table. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I _definitely_ have plans that I need to attend to. This has been _delightful_.” Before he could lose his composure, he sunk out to his bedroom, locking the door so no one could hear his sobs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I’m going to be ending this series once I hit 30 chapters, so you guys are welcome to request as many prompts as you like until I hit 30 chapters. Thank you guys so so much for sticking with me throughout these months. You are all seriously amazing and I love getting prompts from you guys.
> 
> I’m not sure if I already plugged this in, but if you guys are interested in my tumblr, you can find me @remy-the-lemon-berry!


	23. A Flip Down Memory Lane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by Loyal-To-My-Fandoms: How about where Patton breaks out the photo albums while feeling especially nostalgic and talks about the cute things they did when they were little!
> 
> Word count: 953

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM B A C K BABEY!!!!! WOOOOOHOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! Anyhoo, for those of you who live in the US like me, happy Thanksgiving! Make sure to tell someone that you’re thankful for them! I have the entire week off of school, so I *think* I might be able to get another chapter out this week! So, uh, stay tuned for that!
> 
> Additionally, I only have room for three more prompt requests, and it’s first come first serve! So request as soon as you can!
> 
> Warnings for this chapter: fire, baking mention, and I think that’s it

Patton was feeling nostalgic.

Well, more so than usual.

He had woken up that morning feeling a large jumble of confusing emotions. Sadness, calm, longing- no,  _ yearning _ , and a depressing sort of thrill that shot through his veins all piled together in a knotted ball that couldn’t get untangled. It was driving him mad. And despite him doing everything he could to distract himself from it all- cooking, helping Thomas solve an internal dilemma, going to the Imagination in search of puppies, checking on the other Sides- none of it helped. 

Ever since the Moving On videos, Patton never really enjoyed going through the nostalgic memories anymore. Sure, he knew that it was only being nostalgic in excess that was harmful, but knowing him, he would take it too far again. So he just avoided it.

For the most part.

Sometimes, Patton really enjoyed sinking into the common room and going through the scrapbook and photo albums with any of the other Sides (even Remus, though the darker Creativity always made dirty and obscene jokes instead of being truly nostalgic). 

Sighing, Patton sank onto the leather couch and folded his hands in his lap. Everyone else was currently working, and he wasn’t quite sure where Remy resided in the Mindscape. He folded against the back of the couch. Looking through the scrapbooks was never really fun on his own; he wanted someone else with him, but the others were busy. Wait…

Was  _ Thomas _ busy?

Patton sat up, energy flaring through him and reinvigorating him. He quickly sank out and appeared on Thomas’ couch- right next to where the man was rewatching She-Ra. The YouTuber started, dropping his chips and fumbling for the remote before hitting the pause button.

Thomas beamed at the Side. “Hey Patton! What’s up?”

Thomas’s smile was contagious. “Hey, kiddo! I was feeling pretty nostalgic today, and a few minutes ago, I realized that you have never seen my scrapbook, and I wanted to share it with you! I-if that’s alright with you, I mean.

Somehow, Thomas’s grin grew impossibly wider. “Of course. Wait, does this mean I get to see what you guys looked like as kids?”

Patton flipped to the first page of the scrapbook, shifting so that Thomas could see the paper. “Yep! See, this was when you were five! When you grew up, we always appeared a couple years older than you, for some reason.”

Thomas looked at him questioningly. “Do you know why?”

“Nope,” Patton said, popping the p. “Not even Logan does, and it’s upset him for as long as I can remember.” He chuckled and glanced down at the page. “Oh yeah, this is when Virgil first appeared in the Mindscape!” He pointed down at a small, purple, and unbelievably blurry shape that was surrounded by young children. 

Thomas leaned forward, wonder sparkling in his eyes. “Woah, you guys were so small! Is Logan wearing  _ suspenders _ ? And is Janus wearing a  _ magician cape _ ?”

Patton ran his fingers over where Janus’s cape was. “Yeah. Ever since his shapeshifting developed as a young age, he began to learn magic tricks to entertain us! He was dramatic even back then.”

Patton flipped the page. “Oh, oh! This was when we tried baking for the first time!” The image showed a picture of a sooty yet grinning Roman and Remus, a screaming Virgil, Logan running around and spraying a fire extinguisher on the blaze, and Janus throwing water on any of the remaining flamess. Patton glanced at Thomas sheepishly; the YouTuber looked completely flabbergasted. “Yeah, it uh… it didn’t go well.”

“I can tell, jeez,” Thomas murmured. “Were you guys hurt? What happened to the kitchen?”

“Oh, we were fine. The twins just conjured a new kitchen since we uh… we obviously destroyed this one.” Patton flipped the page, and his eyes lit up like stars. “Oh yeah, this was Logan with his first model of the solar system!” A young boy stood in the picture wearing a nice navy button-down shirt decorated with yellow stars. In his hands was an impressive model of the solar system made of pipe cleaners and foam balls. “He was so proud, and I was too! It was then that Logan’s love for space really took hold. Aw, his smile was so bright…” Patton brushed his fingers over where Logan’s face was.

Thomas stared at the picture, a small, sad smile decorating his face. “I’ve never seen Logan smile like that before.”

“Yeah, he uh… he hasn’t in a while. It was mainly when he was younger that he smiled a lot. He was Curiosity back then, ya know. He loved learning about anything and everything. It was endearing, and his enthusiasm was contagious.”

“I want to make him smile like that again,” Thomas said suddenly.

The moral Side smiled sadly. “Me too, kiddo. Me, too.” Patton exhaled for a long moment before flipping the page. “Ooh! This one is a group photo! You had just graduated second grade in this, and we were celebrating!” Everyone in the photograph was wearing a colorful party hat. A stack of pizza boxes lay behind the Sides. In the corner of the photo, Patton could just barely make out the shape of cupcakes. 

Thomas interrupted his thought process. “Is Remus missing a tooth?”

“Oh yeah! He lost that in an Imagination accident. I think he ran into a tree.”

Thomas barked out a laugh. “That sounds like a very Remus thing. What other pictures are there?” And Patton obliged, showing Thomas every picture in the album until late at night. And if they happened to fall asleep on the couch, the scrapbook opened on their laps? Well, no one was going to mention it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fluff was making my teeth rot, so I had to ~spice~ it up with a dash of angst. Hope you enjoyed it!


	24. Let's Kill Tonight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by All_hail_Janus: Thomas is struggling with whether he should go to a really big party on a week day, or stay home because he's overtired. Remy is all for him going to the party, and Logan feels that Thomas needs rest. But when Remy refuses to cooperate with Logan, the sides get together and have a debate of sorts, with one team that wants Thomas to get to sleep, and one that wants him to interact with more people.
> 
> Word count: 424

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: 🧍 I- I don't have an explanation as for why this is out so late. Whoops? But it's here now, and it's short, and let me clarify that I am ABSOLUTELY finishing this fic series even if I die writing it (I'll turn into a ghost and haunt my account). So, there's that.
> 
> Anyway, happy 2021, even though it's already halfway through January! May this year not be as shitty as last year. And may my wish not age like spoiled milk (even though, uh, it kind of already has lmao).
> 
> Warnings for this chapter: alcohol mentions, drug mentions (thanks Remus), swearing, arguments/debates, sexual jokes/innuendos (thanks Remus)

Logan sighed, pinching his brow. “Sleep, we cannot go to this party. Thomas is mentally and physically exhausted, not to mention it’s a weekday. He needs to focus on his schoolwork for the week.”

Remy sipped his coffee, raising an eyebrow behind his sunglasses. “Look babe, how many friends does Tommy have? One. He’s a socially awkward dork who _seriously_ needs some more bitches. Maybe get him a little hottie boyfriend as a bonus.”

Roman cut in before Logan could retort. “I agree with Coffee Connoisseur on this one, Specs. Thomas is hopelessly lonely and should have some excitement in his life! He should meet new people! Go dancing! Find a cute boy and take him home!”

A dark figure appeared in the corner of the room. “Sure, and have that boy murder him in his sleep and no one will find the body. Plus, whenever there are parties, the punch is _always_ spiked, and that’s never good.”

Another figure, this one clad in bright green, popped up behind the TV. “Oh, come _on_ , emo! Thomathy should live a little and get drunk as _fuck_! Maybe take some drugs while we’re at it. How do you think angel dust-” a hand slapped over Remus’s mouth, muffling his speech as he continued to ramble.

Sleep raised an eyebrow at the Side. “Besides, the bitch never sleeps anyway. Might as well have some fun while he’s awake.”

Logan squawked, a sound so unusual for the logical Side that it caused Remy to snicker. “I- you’re the one giving Thomas insomnia! If you wanted to go to the party so badly, then why did you insist on keeping Thomas up until three in the morning?”

Sleep sipped his coffee obnoxiously. “This bitch had his own party to go to.”

“Now kiddos--”

“Oh great, Dad’s here.” Remy rolled his eyes.

“--Thomas promised his friends that he would be there! He shouldn’t abandon them like that- it’s not right!”

“Thomas’s physical and mental health is more important than a party that he could, theoretically, go to whenever one presents itself to him.”

“Shut it, nerd,” Roman crowed. “He’s going to the party and that’s that!”

Protests erupted from the three opposing Sides. Remy waved them off.

“Oh hush, bitches. You’ll get your self-care soon.” Logan looked _pissed_ but attempted (and failed) to hide it under a mask of indifference. 

Virgil snorted. “I’m still not okay with this. Just don’t blame me when Thomas drinks poison and dies.”

“You know what else he’s going to drink? Some nice, sticky-”

“REMUS!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh yeah! Requests are closed! Thank you to everyone who has requested prompts- I will finish those and conclude the series.


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